


What Teammates Are For

by foodie2468



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 14:13:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foodie2468/pseuds/foodie2468
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even back in 2007, Kelley was looking out for Hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Teammates Are For

“Did you hear?” 

The random teammate’s voice broke through the cloud of diagrams and typed words Kelley was slowly drowning in. Why her professor decided to bombard them with pop quizzes every week mystified her. Weren’t summer courses supposed to be easy? Like, sit in the back and make paper airplanes while the professor rambled on about his favorite cat before letting them out early to enjoy the sunshine easy? 

Clearly, this professor missed that introductory lesson. 

The same one as – no lecture on syllabus day. 

According to her English professor, there was a special place in hell for teachers who actually taught on the first day of a college course. Kelley was liable to agree with her. 

“Kelley!” 

“Hmmm…what?” one more practice problem, and this quiz was going to be her bitch. To reward herself for her certain dominance, she already planned on hitting the waves. 

The board was calling to her. 

“Did you not see what’s happening? You have to have seen it!” her teammate flailed her arms, nearly knocking over the empty water bottle sitting precariously on the edge of Kelley’s desk in the process. “It’s all over the news! It’s crazy!” 

Did someone die? Kelley tore her gaze away from the textbook and turned her head to glance at the exuberant midfielder. 

“Are you talking about the national team?” her roommate walked in. 

Kelley perked up a bit. The national team? They were playing the World Cup in China. Exciting stuff. Kelley planned on catching the rerun of the Brazil match later that night. She’d missed the actual airing due to a slight mishap involving a skateboard, a popsicle, and way too many observers. 

Nodding, “Can you believe it? How could she throw her teammate under the bus like that? Who does she think she is?” 

Kelley’s roommate shrugged as she plopped onto her bed, “Doesn’t matter. They kicked her off the team. Lilly and them won’t let that kind of shit fly on the national level.” 

“Wait…what?” kicked off? “Someone got kicked off the national team?” What happened? What had she missed? 

“Yeah, Hope Solo. She got benched and completely went nuts. Total diva moment.” 

Kelley’s brow knit together, “Solo? The goalkeeper?” 

“Yeah.” The self-appointed messenger of national team news walked up to Kelley and leaned over, flipping open her laptop and booting it up, “I can’t believe you haven’t seen this.” She swiftly clicked open the internet browser and typed away, bringing up youtube. “Here, watch.” 

Kelley blinked as the video began to play. 

Hope Solo, starting goalkeeper, was benched in favor of veteran Brianna Scurry for the Brazil game. Kelley watched as Hope sat on the bench, watching in horror as her team lost. The forward felt her chest tighten at the misery and barely concealed anger churning on the keeper’s face. The utter heartbreak as the final whistle blew. She noticed the black armband wrapped around the blonde’s bicep, and she faintly recalled hearing that one of the player’s father died right before the tournament. 

It was Solo’s. 

Damn. 

Then, Hope was in front of a camera. 

_“It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that.”_  

 Kelley swallowed thickly at the ragged tear soaked voice. 

_“There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves, and the fact of the matter is it’s not 2004 anymore, it’s not 2004, it’s 2007 and…”_

“Can you believe that?” Kelley heard from behind her. 

Kelley unconsciously shook her head, riveted by the sad blue eyes reflecting off her screen. It was clear that Hope was devastated. 

Kelley’s arms itched to wrap her in a hug. 

This beautiful, and she was stunning even when upset, woman was obviously hurting. 

“She’s off the team.” Her roommate called out. 

“W-What?” the video ended, but Kelley still stared at the screen. Her heart clenched as what she just witnessed replayed in her mind. 

“Solo is off the team. They only want people who are willing to stick with the team and be a team player.” 

“They kicked her off the team?” Kelley whirled around in her chair. 

“She threw Scurry under the bus,” a shrug, “she doesn’t care about her teammates. Who goes on live tv and says stuff like that?” 

“But…” Kelley looked back at the screen for a moment, chest burning at the beautiful disaster, “all she said was that she would have made those saves. What’s she supposed to say? That she wouldn’t? She was the starting goalkeeper, and when she got benched they lost. That is stupid.” 

“Kell,” 

“And now she is off the team?” Kelley waved at the laptop, “Look at her! She’s…she sounds like she’s ready to cry.” She abruptly stood up, the chair screeching back across the linoleum floor. “This is…she doesn’t deserve that.” She fumbled with her keys and wallet, jamming them into the pockets of her shorts. “She…it’s…that’s mean. And cruel. She shouldn’t have been benched, and she shouldn’t be kicked off the team for saying so.” Slipping into her flip-flops, she stormed out of the dorm, slamming the door shut behind her. 

By the time she reached the quad, internally ranting about unfairness with righteous indignation, her face was red and she was breathing hard. To be honest, if asked, she wouldn’t know why this was bothering her so much. She didn’t know Hope Solo. Wasn’t part of the senior national team. Wasn’t in China. In the end, this didn’t affect her or her life in any way. 

But, one look at that face, barely holding on as emotions threatened to crumble whatever tenuous grasp Solo had, and Kelley felt something snap. 

Hope Solo should have had someone on her side. 

* * *

 Kelley settled into the chair at the large round table, placing her breakfast down as she did so. Without missing a beat, she nudged the woman already sitting next to her, “Morning.” 

Hope didn’t look over at her, focused on the half eaten piece of fruit and cup of coffee she’d been playing with for the past five minutes. “Morning.” 

Kelley snagged a slice of toast, “Brandi Chastain’s an idiot.” 

Hope’s mouth lifted slightly with bemusement, “Oh?” 

“Totally,” Kelley nodded, biting of the small chunk and chewing, “Bue appreciates what you said for her.” 

Hope shrugged, tracing the handle of her coffee mug idly, “She’s playing well. You all are.” 

Kelley set down her toast and lightly tapped Hope’s wrist, “You’re standing up for her, and that’s cool. It means a lot that you believe in us…that you’ve believed in me.” She took a breath, “I’ve got your back no matter what, Hope. So, if rabid twitter crazies come after you, give me a call and I’ll take care of it.” 

Hope snorted, “Think I can handle whatever happens.” 

“Yeah, but you don’t have to.” Kelley grinned at her, “I’m a defender, now, don’t ya know. Protecting you is what I do.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yep,” Kelley turned back to her toast, “and don’t you forget it.” 

“Thanks.” Hope murmured into her coffee.

Kelley playfully nudged her again, “That’s what teammates are for, roomie.”  


End file.
